Judgment Must Come

1 Then the LORD° said° to me, “Even athough°bMoses° and cSamuel° were to dstand° before° Me, My Iheart° would not be IIwith this° people°; esend° them away° from My presence° and let them go°!
2 And it shall be that when° they say° to you, ‘Where° should we go°?’ then you are to tell° them, ‘Thus° says° the LORD°: “Those [destined] afor death°, to death°; And those [destined] for the sword°, to the sword°; And those [destined] for famine°, to famine°; And those [destined] for captivity°, to captivity°.”’
3 I will aappoint° over° them four° kinds° [of doom],” declares° the LORD°: “the sword° to slay°, the bdogs° to drag° off, and the cbirds° of the sky° and the beasts° of the earth° to devour° and destroy°.
4 I will amake° them an object° of horror° among all° the kingdoms° of the earth° because° of bManasseh°, the son° of Hezekiah°, the king° of Judah°, for what° he did° in Jerusalem°.

5 ¶ “Indeed°, who° will have°apity° on you, O Jerusalem°, Or who° will bmourn° for you, Or who° will turn° aside° to ask° about your welfare°?
6 “You who have aforsaken° Me,” declares° the LORD°, “You keep bgoing° backward°. So I will cstretch° out My hand° against° you and destroy° you; I am dtired° of relenting°!
7 “I will awinnow° them with a winnowing° fork° At the gates° of the land°; I will bbereave° [them] of children°, I will destroy° My people°;cThey did not Irepent° of their ways°.
8 “Their awidows° will be more° numerous° before Me Than° the sand° of the seas°; I will bring° against them, against° the mother° of a young° man°, A bdestroyer° at noonday°; I will suddenly° bring° down° on her Anguish° and dismay°.
9 “She who abore° seven° [sons] pines° away°;IHer breathing° is labored°. Her bsun° has set° while it was yet° day°; She has been°cshamed° and humiliated°. So I will dgive° over their survivors° to the sword° Before° their enemies°,” declares° the LORD°.

10 ¶ aWoe° to me, my mother°, that you have borne° me [As] a bman° of strife° and a man° of contention° to all° the land°! I have not clent°, nor° have men lent° money to me, [Yet] everyone° curses° me.
11 The LORD° said°, “Surely°° I will aset° you free° for [purposes of] good°; Surely°° I will cause the benemy° to make° supplication° to you In a time° of disaster° and a time° of distress°.

12 ¶ “Can anyone smash° iron°,aIron° from the north°, or bronze°?
13 “Your awealth° and your treasures° I will give° for booty°bwithout° cost°, Even for all° your sins° And within all° your borders°.
14 “Then I will cause your enemies° to bring°I[it] Into a aland° you do not know°; For a bfire° has been° kindled° in My anger°, It will burn° upon you.”

Jeremiah’s Prayer and God’s Answer

15 ¶ aYou who know°, O LORD°, Remember° me, take° notice° of me, And btake° vengeance° for me on my persecutors°. Do not, in view of Your patience°, take° me away; Know° that cfor Your sake° I endure° reproach°.
16 Your words° were found° and I aate° them, And Your bwords° became° for me a joy° and the delight° of my heart°; For I have been ccalled° by Your name°, O LORD° God° of hosts°.
17 I adid not sit° in the circle° of merrymakers°, Nor° did I exult°. Because°° of Your hand° [upon me] I sat°balone°, For You cfilled° me with indignation°.
18 Why° has my pain° been° perpetual° And my awound° incurable°, refusing° to be healed°? Will You indeed° be to me blike° a deceptive° [stream] With water° that is unreliable°°?

19 ¶ Therefore°, thus° says° the LORD°, “aIf° you return°, then I will restore° youbBefore° Me you will stand°; And cif° you extract° the precious° from the worthless°, You will become°IMy spokesman°. They for their part° may turn° to you, But as for you, you must not turn° to them.
20 “Then I will amake° you to this° people° A fortified° wall° of bronze°; And though they fight° against° you, They will not prevail° over you; For bI am with you to save° you And deliver° you,” declares° the LORD°.
21 “So I will adeliver° you from the hand° of the wicked°, And I will bredeem° you from the Igrasp° of the violent°.”

The utter rejection and manifold judgments of the Jews.

1 ¶ Then saidºª the LORDº unto² me, Though² Mosesº and Samuelº stoodºª beforeº me, [yet] my mindº [could] not² [be] toward² this² people:º cast² [them] out¹ª of²² my sight,º and let them go forth.ºª2 And it shall come to pass,² if² they sayºª unto² thee, Whither² shall we go forth?ºª then thou shalt tellºª² them, Thus² saithºª the LORD;º Such as² [are] for death,º to death;º and such as² [are] for the sword,º to the sword;º and such as² [are] for the famine,º to the famine;º and such as² [are] for the captivity,º to the captivity.º3 And I will appointºª over² them fourº kinds,º saithºª the LORD:º² the swordº to slay,ºª and the dogsº to tear,ºª and the fowlsº of the heaven,º and the beastsº of the earth,º to devourºª and destroy.ºª4 And I will causeºª them to be removedºª¹ into all² kingdomsº of the earth,º because¹ of² Manassehº the sonº of Hezekiahº kingº of Judah,º for² [that] which² he didºª in Jerusalem.º5 For² who² shall have pityºª upon² thee, O Jerusalem?º or who² shall bemoanºª thee? or who² shall go asideºª to askºª how thou doest?º6 Thou² hast forsakenºª me, saithºª the LORD,º thou art gone¹ª² backward:º therefore will I stretch outºª² my handº against² thee, and destroyºª thee; I am wearyºª with repenting.ºª7 And I will fanºª them with a fanº in the gatesº of the land;º I will bereaveºª [them] of children, I will destroyºª² my people,º [since] they returnºª not² from their ways.º²8 Their widowsº are increasedºª to me above the sandº² of the seas:º I have broughtºª upon them against² the motherº of the young menº a spoilerºª at noonday:º I have caused [him] to fallºª upon² it suddenly,º and terrorsº upon the city.º9 She that hath borneºª sevenº languisheth:ºª she hath given upºª the ghost;º her sunº is gone¹ª down² while² [it was] yet day:ºª¹ she hath been ashamedºª and confounded:ºª and the residueº of them will I deliverºª to the swordº beforeº their enemies,ºª saithºª the LORD.º

Jeremiah, complaining of their spite, receiveth a promise for himself,

10 ¶ Woeº is me, my mother,º that² thou hast borneºª me a manº of strifeº and a manº of contentionº to the whole² earth!º I have neither² lent on usury,ºª nor² men have lent to me on usury;ºª [yet] every one² of them doth curseºª me. 11 The LORDº said,ºª Verilyºº it shall be wellº with thy remnant;¹ªª¹² verilyº² I will cause² the enemyºª to entreatºª thee [well] in the timeº of evilº and in the timeº of affliction.º

and a threatening for them.

12 Shall ironº breakºª the northernº² ironº and the steel?º13 Thy substanceº and thy treasuresº will I giveºª to the spoilº without² price,º and [that] for all² thy sins,º even in all² thy borders.º14 And I will make [thee] to passºª with² thine enemiesºª into a landº [which] thou knowestºª not:² for² a fireº is kindledºª in mine anger,º [which] shall burnºª upon² you.

and receiveth a gracious promise.

19 ¶ Therefore² thus² saithºª the LORD,º If² thou return,ºª then will I bring thee again,ºª [and] thou shalt standºª beforeº me: and if² thou take forthºª the preciousº from the vile,ºª² thou shalt be² as my mouth:º let them returnºª unto² thee; but returnºª not² thou² unto² them. 20 And I will makeºª thee unto this² peopleº a fencedºª brasenº wall:º and they shall fightºª against² thee, but they shall not² prevailºª against thee: for² I² [am] with² thee to saveºª thee and to deliverºª thee, saithºª the LORD.º21 And I will deliverºª thee out of the handº² of the wicked,º and I will redeemºª thee out of the handº² of the terrible.º